An investigation by Inside Climate News and The Outlaw Ocean Project traces the presence of ethoxyquin, a chemical used as a fire retardant, in the seafood chain. The story opens with a January 1966 incident in which a South African ship caught fire at sea and later docked in Bristol, England, where firefighters intervened. That event serves as a starting point for examining how the chemical has made its way into marine environments and, ultimately, into the food supply.
Ethoxyquin is an industrial chemical with a range of applications, and its presence in seafood raises concerns about environmental contamination and human health. The investigation is part of a larger collaborative effort by an international team of journalists, indicating the global scope of the issue. The source does not provide details on the chemical's exact pathway, but the central finding is that a fire retardant used in industrial settings has become a pollutant in the seafood chain.